PROTESTS have highlighted the plight of asylum seekers left destitute on the streets of Liverpool.

PROTESTS have highlighted the plight of asylum seekers left destitute on the streets of Liverpool.

The National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns claims Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act is leaving people with no home, food or money.

Section 55 means all people claiming asylum must apply for the status within 24 hours of arriving in the UK.

But campaigners claim hundreds of people are falling foul of the system.

The problem is particularly bad in Liverpool, one of only two centres in the country where people can make an asylum application after entering the country. The other is Croydon.

Dee Coombes, a committee member of the Liverpool Committee Against Destitution, said: "If they are refused, or told they have not applied in time, they are left here with nowhere to stay and no means of supporting themselves.

"Organisations like Asylum Link are awash with people and they are desperately trying to find them places to stay. But some are having to go into shelters.

"These are people who may have lived in respectable homes they have had to flee, and they end up having to stay in a place with alcoholics and where there are fights. It's very frightening for them."

She added: "We set up a shelter last year which ran for five weeks. But we haven't got that this year."

The group is applying for charitable status so it can set up a permanent hostel.